Coffin Kegerator Build - 2013 Project

[12stones]

Sorry, but I hate the word "keezer." Anyway, wife got me a Frigidaire 8.8cf freezer for Hanukkah and I just ordered a Johnson controller from Amazon (yes, using the BN link). I've got some marblewood for turning some tap handles and will build this over the year. Hopefully it won't take all year, but it'll be done in between my honey-do items and it'll take me a little while to get everything I need pulled together before I start.

I'm looking at 4 regular taps, 1 stout tap and some room for a corny in reserve. It'll have a collar with the 2 tanks on the outside, but still within the cabinetry. Perlick 525SS taps, too. Will probably be going with an antique painted look to match our decor since this will be prominently displayed in our kitchen/dining area. I'll try and post pics of the progress in case anyone cares and even if they don't.

Somehow, when I started brewing, I thought I'd save money by not buying store-bought beer...

[Ozwald]

Sorry, but I hate the word "keezer." Anyway, wife got me a Frigidaire 8.8cf freezer for Hanukkah and I just ordered a Johnson controller from Amazon (yes, using the BN link). I've got some marblewood for turning some tap handles and will build this over the year. Hopefully it won't take all year, but it'll be done in between my honey-do items and it'll take me a little while to get everything I need pulled together before I start.

I'm looking at 4 regular taps, 1 stout tap and some room for a corny in reserve. It'll have a collar with the 2 tanks on the outside, but still within the cabinetry. Perlick 525SS taps, too. Will probably be going with an antique painted look to match our decor since this will be prominently displayed in our kitchen/dining area. I'll try and post pics of the progress in case anyone cares and even if they don't.

Somehow, when I started brewing, I thought I'd save money by not buying store-bought beer...

Funny, I'm in the same boat. Got a 15cf off from Craigslist in late November. I'm doing mine sans power tools (I've been cheating by doing the pilot holes with a tiny battery-op Dremel) and funding it with the excess from the brewing budget after ingredients. I've been planning mine for quite a while now & all the folks posting pics/ideas were awesome - can't wait to see yours as well (I've already got my design down, but after spending so long looking at 1000's of pics, links & write-ups, it's pretty much just beer porn now). Hopefully you're doing the same as I am & taking way too many pics of every step along the way. I want to get some headway before I start posting them, or you'll just be looking at a picture of a frame & temporary collar. At least it's already been pouring beer for a couple weeks & will continue to do so all the way through to completion. At least I went into this knowing it was a hobby & not a money saver

[12stones]

I'll definitely be taking a lot of pics. For all of the thousands of pics and threads I've read through, there aren't too many helpful how-to's out there. I'd like to change that. And thanks for the advice on building up some pics before posting otherwise I would have nickel and dimed it to death.

[Ozwald]

I found a few, but I really wasn't looking for a guide. I found the pics showing every step along the way the most helpful. I'm putting a ventilation system inside the base, for example, & just the standard "here's my finished kegerator" pics don't help in that department at all. Most of the how-to's out there are just about building a simple collar anyhow. How are you doing the top? Drilling some holes & having the Irish coffin somewhat separate? I decided to pull the original lid altogether & build my own. From feeling the outside of the collar & factory lid, the 2x4's are much better insulators anyways. Almost went the hole method, but I was pretty worried about condensation inside the coffin.

[12stones]

I haven't decided on the lid. I was originally thinking of the drill through the original lid coffin on the top, but not sure how I'll want to run the lines yet. I'm also still working out whether I'm going to also build a collar for the added height of using cornies on the hump. I'm still drawing it up, but trying to figure out how to get the tanks on the outside with easy access to change them out.

[spiderwrangler]

If you are drilling through the top to put in a tower, keep in mind that you need enough clearance from the wall to be able to open it up.

[12stones]

I'll be putting it on casters so I can roll it away from the wall for change-outs.

[Ozwald]

I think that's the biggest downfall for the Irish Coffin builds. I decided to build a completely new bar top for mine to replace the lid entirely. I just measured the extra height from the collar & figured out how much room I needed to change the back kegs so the opening will only be about 2/3's of the original. I'm also putting in a stop so when it is opened all the way, it'll stop before it reaches the taps.